SoCAL CIDER Co

This was definitely an unexpected first of a mural for me. A new tap room on Abbot Kinney Blvd for a popular cider brand contacted me with a slightly unusual idea and space.

The hallway past the bar that leads to the outside was the space they wanted to create a mural. Since the vibe was very surfer culture, their idea was to create an illusion of the inside of surfing a big wave barrel.

My initial reaction with most murals is a yes of course, but this one being an illusion, I had to think is it really possible to do it? I don’t like telling people I can do something I can’t really do. But I remembered once being on a commercial for Hershey’s and meeting some chalk artists who actually did those 3d illusion artworks. They had showed me how they do it, and I am not going to give up their secrets, but I will say that even with my limited knowledge I felt confident I could accomplish it.

Now for the kicker, we have an opening party in 6 days…perfect. And it's inside, so I gotta use brush and can’t spray. Bring it on.

So as the story goes with most of my work, I just went for it. Using chalk and a forced perspective I knocked it out. I’ll post some process shots below. But for my first illusion mural it was a really cool challenge.

I’m stoked on the work, it has become a staple at the tap room and of course folks are always taking pictures of it and sharing.

Coming soon is the second wave, literally, for the new location of Socal Cider Co in Santa Monica, CA.